2018 AWCON: CAF to decide Ghana's right to host tournament next month

Cairo, Egypt (PANA) - Africa's football governing body, the Confederation of African Football (CAF), says it is yet to take a final decision on whether Ghana will host the Total Women's Africa Cup of Nations Ghana 2018 scheduled for 17 November to 1 December.

"The subject will be discussed at the next meeting of the Organising Committee for Women's Football to be held in Cairo, Egypt, on Wednesday, 12 September, 2018. The report of the last inspection visit is among items on the agenda," CAF said in a statement on its website.

The statement follows media reports that Ghana has been stripped of the right to host the 2018 Africa Women's Cup of Nations (AWCON) due to slow progress of preparations towards the competition.

"The final decision will be taken by the CAF Executive Committee at its meeting on September 27-28 in Egypt," the CAF statement said.

Media reports in Ghana state that the Accra and Cape Coast Stadiums have been selected as the match venues for the eight-nation tournament.

However, the Ministry of Youth and Sports has instructed a two-man Liaison Team to write to CAF about the possible use of either the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi or the Aliu Mahama Stadium in Tamale as the alternative match venue, if Accra Stadium, currently under renovation, is not ready in time.

However, work at the Accra Stadium has picked up in the last few weeks when the Director for competitions at CAF, came to Ghana for the second inspection.

Club football in Ghana has been at standstill since June when the government decided to wind down the activities of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) following a documentary by Ghanaian investigative journalist Anas Aremayaw Anas that showed football administrators and match officials allegedly accepting cash gifts.

World football governing body, FIFA, said the writ introduced by the Attorney General to the High Court of Justice to start the liquidation process of the GFA constituted undue influence in the affairs of the GFA in contravention of art. 14 par. 1 i) and art. 19 par. 1 of the FIFA Statutes. It warned that if the liquidation process was not withdrawn by 27 August, it would suspend Ghana from all football-related activities with immediate effect.

Following talks in Zurich between Ghana and FIFA on earlier this month, the government of Ghana agreed to take steps to discontinue the process for the winding up of the GFA.

FIFA upon consultation with the government of Ghana and CAF shall establish a normalisation committee to replace the Executive Committee of the GFA.

FIFA in consultation with the government of Ghana and CAF shall also appoint persons with integrity and competence to constitute the membership of the normalisation committee.

Defending champions of AWCOM, Nigeria, 2016 hosts and runners-up, Cameroon, 2012 champions, Equatorial Guinea, Algeria, South Africa, Zambia and Mali have all qualified for the tournament, and will be joined by the hosts for the two-week competition which will also serve as the 2019 Women's World Cup qualifier.

The top three teams of the AWCON 2018, will qualify to represent the continent at the WWC to be staged in France.
-0- PANA MA 28Aug2018